U.S. patent application number 11/105392 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-15 for power generation plant remote operation system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hitachi, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Fukai, Masayuki, Kusaka, Satoshi.
Application Number | 20050203670 11/105392 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19070276 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050203670 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kusaka, Satoshi ; et
al. |
September 15, 2005 |
Power generation plant remote operation system
Abstract
A plurality of thermal power generation plants 100 are provided
with a communication terminal 200 and a function of controlling
respectively a boiler control unit 110, a turbine control unit 120
and an auxiliary machine sequence control unit 130 based on an
operation signal inputted via the communication terminal 200. A
remote control center 10 which is connected to the communication
terminal 200 via the Internet 300, accesses the control units and
remotely controls operating states including starting and stopping
of the concerned thermal power generation plant 100.
Inventors: |
Kusaka, Satoshi; (Hitachi,
JP) ; Fukai, Masayuki; (Hitachi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MATTINGLY, STANGER,
MALUR & BRUNDIDGE, P.C.
Suite 370
1800 Diagonal Road
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
Hitachi, Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
19070276 |
Appl. No.: |
11/105392 |
Filed: |
April 14, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11105392 |
Apr 14, 2005 |
|
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10078378 |
Feb 21, 2002 |
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6898488 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
700/286 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G05B 15/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
700/286 |
International
Class: |
G05D 011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 7, 2001 |
JP |
2001-239543 |
Claims
1-16. (canceled)
17. A power generation plant remote control and operation method
for remote controlling a plurality of power generation plants which
is provided with, a centralized monitoring device which is
connected to the plurality of power generation plants via
communication lines so as to permit mutual communication and which
performs centralized monitoring of operation states of the
plurality of power generation plants; and a plurality of start and
stop control devices for remote controlling start and stop
operation of the plurality of power generation plants and of which
number corresponds to the number of the plurality of power
generation plants, wherein when starting or stopping one of the
plurality of power generation plants, one of the plurality of start
and stop control devices which is provided correspondingly to the
one power generation plant intended to be started or stopped
performs an operation control for starting or stopping according to
a processing program in which a control and operation sequence for
starting or stopping is predetermined.
18. A power generation plant remote control and operation method
according to claim 17, wherein when starting or stopping one of the
plurality of power generation plants, one of the plurality of start
and stop control devices which is provided correspondingly to the
one power generation plant intended to be started or stopped
performs an operation guidance.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a thermal power generation
plant remote operation system and, in particular, relates to a
remote control system for starting and stopping a plurality of such
plants and fee collection processing applied to such system.
[0003] 2. Conventional Art
[0004] Starting and stopping operation of a thermal power plant
associates with a variety of concerned installations which relate
each other, and includes temperature rising and lowering operations
of machines and apparatuses having large thermal capacities,
because such thermal power generation unit fundamentally combusts
fuel, convents the thermal energy into mechanical energy and
finally into electrical energy. In connection with the starting
operation, as shown in FIG. 5, for every single thermal power
generation plant 100 respective control units such as a boiler
control unit (function) 110, a turbine control unit (function) 120
and an auxiliary sequence control unit (function) 130 connected to
a power generation plant network 150 are operated from an operator
monitoring operation unit 140, and a starting operation is
initiated by performing backward counting from a target paralleling
(rated load reaching) timing. Then, an operator successively
operates individual units and starts the plant while monitoring and
confirming the plant condition according to a starting operation
sequence. With regard to the starting, it takes even in a most
rapid instance about one hour after initiating starting preparation
and actually performing parallel making in the line until building
up to a target output, and depending on the standstill condition it
takes a few hours, during this starting period, it is required to
perform monitoring and confirming of the conditions of processes
and machines over items in the number of from several tens to
several hundreds as well as after correctly judging these
information to open and close values and to start and stop pumps
and fans in the number of several tens to several hundreds. The
operation of stopping is substantially the same as the starting
operation as explained above.
[0005] The starting and stopping operation can be achieved only
after correctly judging the plant condition and performing a proper
operation as has been explained above, however, depending on a
manner of operation the time required for the starting and stopping
operation may be prolonged, and contrary because of rapid starting
and stopping the life time of the machines such as a turbine and a
boiler sometime results in to be shortened as has been planned. The
requirement from a power transmission system side is to keep
paralleling (or a target load reaching) timing and decoupling
(paralleling off) timing as a target timing of performing starting
and stopping operation, in that it is required, when electric power
demand is increasing, to properly make parallel and to increase
output and to thereby perform electric power generation
corresponding to the demand load, and when the electric power
demand is decreasing, to perform decoupling and to decrease the
output rapidly. One of the most important problems is to make
paralleling at a required timing without delay after initiating a
starting operation of the concerned electric power generation unit
as well as to perform decoupling at the required timing after
initiating a stopping operation.
[0006] When starting a unit, a boiler is warmed up and a turbine in
a form of rotating body is rotated from a standstill condition to
an rpm corresponding to a frequency of the concerned power
transmission line, however, conditions (such as temperature and
internal pressure) of the boiler and turbine in a form of solid
body and associating machines and apparatuses vary depending on
such as standstill period, manner of stopping operation, existence
and absence and kinds of works during standstill, therefore, the
manner of starting operation varies depending on the conditions
above and the time required for the starting is also varies.
[0007] Steady state operation of an electric power generation plant
is mostly automated by a dedicated control unit for a boiler and a
turbine without necessitating intervention of an operator, however,
with regard to the starting and stopping operation, since highly
intelligent judgements and greatly many operations are required,
such operations are performed individually either by operators at
each of the concerned plant, while monitoring the plant condition
or by installing such as control use computer and automating
control unit which are provided with a function of causing
automated starting and stopping operation and by making use of the
same by operators at each of the concerned plants. Technology of
the control use computer and automating control unit which are
provided with a function of causing automated starting and stopping
operation has already been established, therefore, it is possible
to perform starting and stopping according to a predetermined
sequence without needing intervention of operators or by requiring
the operators a few selections.
[0008] Operation in an electric power generation plant is roughly
divided into the following four stages;
[0009] (1) during a steady state loading operation,
[0010] (2) starting process,
[0011] (3) stopping process, and
[0012] (4) standstill condition.
[0013] Among these stages, since the standstill condition is one in
which the plant is stopped, neither operation nor monitoring are
required. During the steady state loading, since a large scale
process in which fuel is combusted and the thermal energy is
converted into mechanical energy and then to electrical energy, the
monitoring thereof is always required. However, other than the
transient condition from static to dynamic and from dynamic to
static a machine operation is stable which is true for all of
machine operations, therefore, number of items to be operated is a
few. Accordingly, a plant monitoring during a steady state loading
operation does not, in particular, require operators to attend all
the time but requires to watch important parameters whether the
same are stable until detecting an abnormality.
[0014] Contrary, when starting a plant, it is necessary to perform
a proper operation timely after carefully checking conditions of
machines and a apparatuses, auxiliary machines and processes in the
plant which also depends on the condition when the plant was
stopped, and such requires operators to have high technology and a
correct judgement and operation. When stopping a plant, although
the requirement is slightly low, it is necessary to perform correct
operation with reference to a lot of information. On one hand, an
intermediate load service in which starting and stopping operation
is frequently repeated tends to become common in a thermal electric
power generation plant, therefore, in order to perform correctly
such starting and stopping operation, it is the first thing to
obtain experienced operators.
[0015] However, since training of such operators requires
substantial time and cost, and other than large electric power
companies there are no training facilities and also these are many
entrepreneurs who want to enter into electric power generation
business such as industry use and IPP, but have anxieties how to
practice actual operation after starting the operating. Further,
even if operators are obtained, when the plant is started every day
and is stopped every night, although such depends on the plant
application, one cycle of starting-steady state operation-stopping
requires about 16 hours, therefore, the operators are required to
work in two or three shifts with one team of about 3 through 5
operators. If the plant is to be operated on Saturday and Sunday,
number of teams has to be increased such as three to four teams so
as to permits to take holidays by turn which requires to obtain
many operators such as 9 to 20 and costs a substantial personnel
expense. Even in large electric power companies owning many power
generation plants, acquiring of operators is difficult and payment
of personal expense cost is a large burden, therefore, they are
continuously trying to reduce number of operators per unit such as
by centralizing a plurality of plants and an intermediate level
management of a plurality of plants.
[0016] Further, although there has been a control use computer and
automating control unit which has a function of performing an
automated starting and stopping operation, except for a plant which
is required to perform starting and stopping operation every day,
such provision of an expensive installation having the automating
function is not profitable for starting and stopping operation
every one week or a few times in a year. Moreover, it is not a best
way in view of personnel expense to station many excellent persons
as operators in an electric power generation plant for starting the
plant from early morning. Although, even during a steady state
operation operators are required to monitor many operating
conditions, however, when the machines and apparatuses are normally
operated, information to be watched is limited, therefore, such
condition can be sufficiently covered by a less operators.
[0017] Accordingly, in these power generation plants it is desired
that when an operation management of electric power generation
plant including starting and stopping operation by a limited number
of operator attendance required for steady state loading operation,
the starting and stopping operation of the concerned electric power
generation plant never becomes a burden of these operators.
[0018] Further, when automating the starting and stopping operation
of a plant, it is required to perform a variety of adjustments
depending on the characteristics of the concerned plant, however,
under a circumstance where the construction period is shortened
year by year and time for test run can not be shared sufficiently,
it is becomes difficult to perform adjustment which reflects the
plant characteristic at the time of test run completion and permits
an optimum starting and stopping from any plant conditions.
Further, the application (frequency of starting and stopping
operations) of thermal electric power generation plants varies for
every plant and further the application at the time of planning
varies depending on electric power demand circumstance. For
example, an electric power generation plant planned for a base
application can be changed to an intermediate loading application
(service). Therefore, it is necessary to perform an optimum
starting and stopping operation in response to such application
change flexibly for life time management of the concerned plant and
for maintenance cost reduction, therefore, in order to study, plan
and adjust these problems professional engineers are needed.
However, it is difficult to obtain such engineers for the
individual electric power generation plants, therefore, at present
it is hard to say that an optimum starting and stopping operation
is performed in many electric power generation plants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present invention is carried out in view of the above
referred to background, and an object of the present invention is
to provide a power generation plant remote operation system in
which the starting and stopping operation of electric power
generation plants is performed remotely and automatically depending
on the circumstance of machines and apparatuses of the respective
plants or the same is performed semiautomatically and properly
after being provided with a guidance.
[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
power generation plant remote operation system as built as referred
to above which incorporates fee collecting measure for the services
performed in the concerned system.
[0021] These days, since control units are completely digitalized,
plant information can be carried on a power generation plant
network, and because of development of communication means such as
internet and satellite communication an environment has been
prepared in which information of electric power generation stations
can be easily accessed from remote places, even if there are no
dedicated lines, even when a unit which monitors operation of
electric power generation plants and a unit which automatically
performs starting and stopping control of the electric power
generation plants are installed remote from the electric power
generation plants, information of the electric power generation
plants can be inputted to the units by making use of the
communication means such as an internet. In the remotely installed
units many of plant data are stored, and experts and operators who
have experiences of such as designing, planning and operating the
plants are stationed, grasp the conditions of the concerned
electric power generation plant by making use of the data sent from
a remote location of the electric power generation plant, select a
starting and stopping method meeting a required starting and
stopping plan and execute the same. Further, after analyzing the
starting and stopping operation records, design condition, state of
machines and apparatuses and the current starting and stopping
content, an adjustment is performed to determine an optimum
starting and stopping. Still further, these starting and stopping
records are reported to the concerned electric power generation
plant as well as an improvement of starting and stopping method is
proposed to the concerned electric power generation plant. By
receiving agency consideration of the starting and stopping
operation and a predetermined share according to agreement of the
profit obtained by the improvement of the starting and stopping
operation, the remote starting and stopping services can be
realized as a business.
[0022] More specifically, the present invention is characterized in
that a power generation plant remote operation system is
constituted by a plurality of thermal power generation plants each
of which is provided with a communication terminal and a function
of controlling respective elements based on an operation signal
inputted via the communication terminal and a remote control center
which is connected to the communication terminal via a
communication line, accesses the elements representing control
objects in the respective thermal power generation plants and
remotely controls operating states including starting and stopping
of the concerned thermal power generation plant.
[0023] In place of the above remote control of the operating states
including starting and stopping the concerned thermal power
generation plant, the system can be constituted in such a manner
that after performing a guidance of starting and stopping operation
for the concerned thermal power generation plant, the control of
the operation states including starting and stopping the plant is
remotely aided. Further, as the communication line, a network line
including an internet and a satellite communication line can be
used. Still further, the remote control center is also provided
with a function of monitoring the states of the respective elements
and/or the operating states of the thermal power generation
plants.
[0024] Further, the thermal power generation plant pays a
consideration to the remote control center based on its own
operating state controlled by the remote control center. A
reference operating state of the above consideration payment is set
based on, for example, any one of number of auxiliary machines in
the plant, complexity of control object line system, magnitude of
output of the plant, and amount of signals of the plant.
[0025] Still further, the thermal power generation plant can be
designed to pay a consideration to the remote control center based
on the amount of cost saving by an improvement proposal presented
by the remote control center.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system structure of a thermal
power generation plant remote control and operation system
representing one embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a modified system structure of
FIG. 1 embodiment;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship of information
transmission and reception between a thermal power generation plant
(power generation entrepreneur) and a remote centralized monitoring
center in the power generation plant remote control and operation
system representing the embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing schematically a role assignment
between a thermal power generation plant, a remote centralized
monitoring center and a power transmission system administrator
relating to the power generation plant remote control and operation
system representing the embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0030] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a starting and stopping
control function of the remote centralized monitoring center
according to the present embodiment in comparison with a
conventional example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Hereinbelow, embodiments of the present invention will be
explained with reference to the drawings in which the communication
terminal corresponds to a communication terminal 200, and the
respective elements correspond to a boiler control unit 110, a
turbine control unit 120 and an auxiliary machine control unit 130.
Further, in the following description, parts equivalent to those of
the conventional example as has been explained in connection with
FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals thereof and
duplicate description will be occasionally omitted.
[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a
thermal power generation plant remote control and operation system
representing an embodiment of the present invention. The present
system is constituted by a power generation plant remote
centralized monitoring center 10 and a plurality of thermal power
plants A through n (hereinbelow will be generally designated by
reference numeral 100) which are connected to permit mutual
communication via a network line including an internet working as a
communication line. Further, in place of or in addition to the
internet 300, the system can be built so as to include a satellite
communication line or alternatively the network can be built by a
dedicated line.
[0033] The power generation plant remote centralized monitoring
center 10 is provided with a starting and stopping control unit 20
and an operator centralized monitoring operation unit 30, the
starting and stopping control unit 20 includes a plant A starting
and stopping control unit 20A through a plant n starting and
stopping control unit 20n each corresponds to each plant in the
plurality of thermal power generation plants 100, and the operator
centralized monitoring and operating unit 30 is designed to permit
accessing to the respective plant starting and stopping control
units 20A through 20n.
[0034] On the hand, each of the thermal power generation plants (A
through n) is provided with a boiler control unit (function) 110, a
turbine control unit (function) 120 and an auxiliary sequence
control unit (function) 130 and is controlled by these respective
control units 110, 120 and 130. Under a steady state operation
sufficient operation and monitoring can be performed by these
functions. However, when performing starting and stopping
operation, it is necessary that operators perform a variety of
operations at a proper timing depending on the plant state as has
been explained above, and the operator monitoring and operating
unit 140 is operated and monitored by a plurality of operators. In
the present embodiment, since the starting and stopping operation
is performed by the power generation plant remote centralized
monitoring center 10, a communication terminal 200 is further
provided for each network 150 in the respective power generation
plants 100, thus the power generation plant remote centralized
monitoring center 10 is constituted to collect power generation
plant information via a communication line such as an internet 300
and to send an operation command to the respective power generation
plants.
[0035] The remote centralized monitoring center 10 performs
operations and information transmission and reception as shown in
FIG. 3, acquires in advance control and operation sequence of the
respective thermal power generation plants 100 and stores a
starting and stopping control program in the starting and stopping
control unit 20. When actually performing a starting and stopping,
other than information exchange between a concerned power
generation plant 100 and the remote centralized monitoring center
10 an information exchange with a power transmission system
administrator 50 is of course necessitated as shown in FIG. 4,
however, a plant is fundamentally operated and managed through
information exchange as shown in FIG. 3.
[0036] Namely, as shown in FIG. 3, the side of the thermal power
generation plant presents plant design information to the remote
centralized monitoring center 10 (step S 301), and ensures an
interfacing between the already existing monitoring and control
system and the remote monitoring and operation use communication
terminal (step S 302). Further, the plant design information
includes information on machine and apparatus system, control
system, electrical system and control and operation manual, and in
order to build the present system the provision of the
communication terminal 200 which is permitted to perform
communication via a communication line such as the internet 300 is
a precondition. Further, when an interfacing is ensured at step S
302 and a power generation permission/receiving power indication is
informed from the side of the power transmission system
administrator 50 to the side of the thermal power generation plant
100, an adjustment with regard to power generation starting time
and generation power amount is performed with the power
transmission system administrator 50 (step S 303), and timing of
plant parallel making (a target load reaching)/decoupling is
indicated (step S 304). Still further, plant information is also
sent from the side of the thermal power generation plant 100 to the
side of the remote centralized monitoring center 10.
[0037] When the timing of parallel making or decoupling comes, the
control units and control terminals are successively operated by an
operation signal from the remote centralized monitoring system 10
to start or to stop the concerned plant (step S 305). Thereafter,
the side of the thermal power generation plant 100 pays a
consideration in association with the operation agency of starting
and stopping the plant (step S 306), and further, advances to
evaluate an improving method of starting and stopping operation and
to decide whether or not to apply the improving method (step S
307). Further, the payment of the consideration at step S 306
includes a consideration for the improvement proposal which is
agreed to pay a predetermined rate of the effective saving amount
when there is an accepted proposed improvement in the starting and
stopping method.
[0038] On the other hand, the side of the remote centralized
monitoring center 10, after receiving the presentation of the plant
design information at step S 301, analyzes the plant starting and
stopping operation and studies a remote starting and stopping (step
S 311). Then, a starting/stopping program for the concerned plant
is prepared (step S 312). In this instance, the program includes a
schedule calculation and plant automated starting/stopping control
programs. After preparing the programs in such a manner and an
interfacing is ensured at step S 302, the state of the plant is
grasped at step S 313 and when the timing of plant parallel
making/decoupling at step S 304 is inputted, calculation (schedule
calculation) of starting and stopping operation initiating timing
is performed at step S 314. Then, an operation command necessary
for starting or stopping are successively issued based on the plant
starting or stopping timing determined from the schedule
calculation (step S 315). The operation command corresponds to the
operation signal for the remote centralized system in step S 305
and in a thermal power generation plant starting or stopping of the
plant is performed based on the operation signal.
[0039] Further, in the remote centralized monitoring center 10,
process information at the time of plant starting or stopping,
operation terminal information and automating operation information
are collected and kept (step S 316). Then, at the same time when
starting or stopping operation has been completed, the starting or
stopping operation completion report is transmitted to the side of
the thermal power generation plant (step S 317). The thermal power
generation plant side received of the above completion report
performs the payment of consideration referred to above based on
the completion report in the same manner as in step S 306. Further,
when an improvement measure in connection with the starting and
stopping method is found out, the improvement measure is proposed
to the side of the power generation entrepreneur (step S 318), and
if the improvement measure is accepted by the power generation
entrepreneur side and is decided for application (step S 307), the
remote centralized monitoring center side reforms the control
program based on the indication (step S 318), and a plant starting
and stopping program is prepared at step S 312, thereafter, the
processing is executed according to the reformed program.
[0040] Information exchange during such instance between the
thermal power generation plant 100, the remote centralized
monitoring center 10 and the power transmission system
administrator 50 is performed as shown in FIG. 4.
[0041] Namely, when the design information of the thermal power
generation plant including the control system and control and
operation manual is transmitted from any of the thermal power
generation plants 100 which are objects for operation in the same
manner as in step S 301 (step S 401), the side of the remote
centralized monitoring center 10 confirms the provision of the
communication line use communication terminal 200 such as an
internet (step S 402), wherein it is confirmed that communication
relation between the respective thermal power generation plants 100
and the remote centralized monitoring center 10 is ensured via a
communication line. Under such condition, when a power generation
permission or a power acceptance is indicated from the side of the
power transmission system administrator 50 to the thermal power
generation plant 100 (step S 403), plant starting/stopping timing
designation information is transmitted from the side of the thermal
power generation plant 100 to the remote centralized monitoring
center 10 (step S 404) as well as plant information continuously
collected is likely transmitted (step S 405).
[0042] Based on these information received the remote centralized
monitoring center side 10 transmits to the thermal power generation
plant side 100 a plant control and operation signal for performing
starting and stopping (step S 406), based on the transmitted signal
the thermal power generation plant side starts or stops the same
and transmits the state of plant paralleling or decoupling as well
as the state of transmitting power output to the power transmission
system administrator 50 (step S 407). Further, the improvement
proposal at step S 318 is transmitted from the remote centralized
monitoring center side 10 to the thermal power generation plant
side 100 (step S 408), and if the proposal is accepted by the
thermal power generation plant side 100 as in the above step S 307
(step S 409), the control program is reformed at step S 319, and a
new plant control and operation signal is transmitted (step S 406)
while reflecting the reformation result (step S 410).
[0043] Further, the thermal power generation plant side 100 pays
the consideration in connection with the agency of the plant
starting and stopping at step S 411 to the remote centralized
monitoring center side 10. Further, when the improvement proposal
is accepted at step S 409, the remote centralized monitoring side
10 calculates cost saving amount saved by the improvement proposal
and informs the same to the thermal power generation plant side 100
(step S 412). The thermal power generation plant side 100 pays
based on the information a predetermined amount of memory of, for
example, an agreed upon percentages of the profit corresponding to
the cost saving to the remote centralized monitoring center side 10
(step S 413).
[0044] The consideration to be paid to the remote centralized
monitoring center side 10 in connection with the operation agency
of the plant starting and stopping at step S 306 is set depending
on such as the scale of the respective thermal power generation
plants 100 and their operation conditions. Specifically, the
consideration is set, for example, according to the following
parameters;
[0045] Number of plant starting/stopping
[0046] Number of plant auxiliary machines and apparatuses
[0047] Complexity of plant line system
[0048] Magnitude of output
[0049] Total amount of signals in plant.
[0050] Further, step S 401 in FIG. 4 corresponds to the information
presentation from step S 301 to step S 311 in FIG. 3, step S 404
corresponds to the time notification from step S 304 to step S 314,
step S 406 corresponds to the signal transmission processing from
step S 315 to step S 305, step S 411 corresponds to the processing
to the remote centralized monitoring center side 10 at step S 306,
step S 408 corresponds to the proposal to the thermal power
generation side at step S 318, step S 410 corresponds to the
processing from step S 319 to step S 312 and step S 412 and step S
413 correspond to the processing at step S 306.
[0051] Although the starting and stopping operation of a thermal
power generation plant requires very complex judgement and
performance of many operations, however, when such is performed by
the remote centralized monitoring center 10, if operators at the
operator centralized monitoring unit 30 performs operation after
confirming respective monitoring information one by one, such shows
no difference when stationing operators at the concerned thermal
power generation plant for performing the starting and stopping
operation and there is no importance to provide the remote
centralized monitoring center 10. Further, when performing the
centralized monitoring of many power generation plants, it is
impossible to attend to only one thermal power generation plant,
therefore, the remote centralized monitoring center 10 is provided
with the above referred to starting and stopping control unit 20.
The function of this unit will be explained with reference to FIG.
5.
[0052] In the present embodiment, the operation sequence for
starting and stopping which was conventionally performed by
operators is inputted as a control program of the power generation
plant into the starting and stopping control unit 20. The control
program causes to automatically advance the starting operation
sequence based on the plant condition and transition of monitoring
information on the auxiliary machine and apparatus condition. The
control program judges information of the objective thermal power
generation plant 100 which is inputted via a communication line
such as the internet 300, outputs a starting and stopping operation
command at a proper timing and automatically starts and stops the
plant. Further, the timing of the starting operation initiation or
the stopping operation initiation of a thermal power generation
plant was conventionally determined after the operators at the
concerned thermal power generation plant 100 judges the plant
condition from the target parallel making time and decoupling time,
however, since it is difficult that the operators at the remote
centralized monitoring center 10 manage such individual conditions
one by one, therefore, the target paralleling timing or the
decoupling timing of the concerned plant is acquired in advance
from the control objective thermal power generation plant 100 and
is inputted into the above referred to starting and stopping
control unit 20. The starting and stopping control unit 20
calculates timing of the plant starting operation initiation or the
stopping operation initiation through which the paralleling or
decoupling is performed at the designated timing, and starts or
stops the plant at a proper timing while relating with the control
program for automatically starting and stopping the plant.
[0053] The operators at the remote centralized monitoring center 10
monitor through the operator centralized monitoring operation unit
30 whether the automated plant starting and stopping is performed
smoothly and in case when any inconvenience happens the operators
either intervene manually or provide proper information and advise
(guidance) to the concerned thermal power generation plant 100.
Further, since the remote centralized monitoring center 10
possesses the starting and stopping records, the operation records
and design data of the concerned thermal power generation plant as
well as keeps record data of many other power generation plants,
the remote centralized monitoring center 10 can analyze these data
occasionally and can propose an improvement measure of starting and
stopping method for the concerned plant. With regard to this
improvement measure, if any of the thermal power generation plants
100 decides to apply the same as has been explained in connection
with step S 307, the improvement measure is practiced by adjusting
the control program and the timing management program of the
starting and stopping control unit 20 in the remote centralized
monitoring center 10 in the manner as explained in connection with
step S 319 and step S 312. On the other hand, the operator
monitoring operation 140 by the operators at the side of the
thermal power generation plant 100 is very limited works such as
works which can not be performed by remote control such as starting
preparation work and inspection at the site.
[0054] As has been explained above, if the starting and stopping
operation is performed remotely by the remote centralized
monitoring center 10, number of operators at respective thermal
power generation plants can be suppressed to the limited number
required for steady state operation. In addition, since the
starting and stopping operation can be performed by professional
engineers, reliability of the starting and stopping operation can
be ensured. Further, when repeating the starting and stopping
operations, better starting and stopping operations are performed
step by step, thereby, the operation cost is reduced for the
respective power generation plants, thus the side of providing
remote centralized monitoring services can enjoy shares of the cost
saving profit by the improvement.
[0055] In FIG. 2, a plant starting and stopping control (function)
160 is provided in the thermal power generation plant A and the
remote control operation is realized while including the plant in
which the plant starting and stopping control is already automated,
in such instance including such a plant, the present invention
functions in the same way when the same is applied to the case in
which the plant starting and stopping control is not automated, and
the same advantages as in FIG. 1 embodiment can be obtained.
[0056] Further, in the systems as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
remote centralized monitoring center 10 for power generation plants
is provided independent from respective thermal power generation
plants, the same can be provided in one of the plurality of thermal
power generation plants 100.
[0057] As has been explained hitherto, according to the present
invention, since the power generation plant remote operation system
is constituted by a plurality of thermal power generation plants
each of which is provided with a communication terminal and a
function of controlling respective elements based on an operation
signal inputted via the communication terminal and a remote control
center which is connected to the communication terminal via a
communication line, accesses elements representing control objects
in the respective thermal power generation plants and remotely
controls operating states including starting and stopping of the
concerned thermal power generation plants, the starting and
stopping operation of the power generation plants can be performed
remotely and automatically in response to the circumstances of the
machines and apparatuses of the respective plants.
[0058] Further, according to the present invention, in place of the
above remote control of the operating states including starting and
stopping the concerned thermal power generation plant, since the
system can be constituted in such a manner that after performing a
guidance of starting and stopping operation for the concerned
thermal power generation plant, the control of the operation states
including starting and stopping the plant is remotely aided, the
starting and stopping operation is performed semiautomatically and
properly after being provided with a guidance.
[0059] Further, according to the present invention, since the
thermal power generation plant pays a consideration to the remote
control center based on its own operating state controlled by the
remote control center or based on the amount of cost saving by an
improvement proposal presented by the remote control center, the
consideration for the services performed by the remote control
center can be correctly collected.
[0060] Still further, according to the present invention, in place
of a manager and operators at the concerned power generation
station, since an optimum starting and stopping operation at each
moment can be prepared at a top level by professional engineers
based on the accumulated data representing plant condition and
characteristic as well as without reconstruction the control unit
within the power generation station, the present invention
contributes to personnel cut of operators and maintenance persons,
reduces losses at the time of plant starting and stopping, shortens
starting and stopping time and enhances reliability.
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